The Marauders’ Return
by Splash of Blue
Summary: The old war left scars that went more than skin deep. Scars that can only be healed at the dawn of a new war... *Chapter 6 Finally Up!*
1. Meetings

**DISCLAIMER:** Original characters and the plot are mine, as are the song lyrics. The rest is the creation of J.K. Rowling and as such belongs to her. ::sobs:: 
What I would do if Sirius and Remus _were_ mine is another matter entirely… 
**WARNING:** This is the sequel to my fic Hogwarts: the True Story, twisted out of a fit of irritation and my several-month-long writer's block on said story. It does contain multiple spoilers but can be read as a stand-alone. 
The 'old crowd'… ten old best friends summoned to Dumbledore's aid by Sirius when the Dark Lord returns to power. Together they must unlock their troubled pasts to be given any chance of saving their future… 
**The Marauders' Return by Rubii Firestorm**
Part 1: Meetings 
In the street just outside the smart front gate of 29 Acacia Avenue, Arabella Figg tut-tutted at her reflection in the rear-view mirror of her bright red Volkswagen New Beetle, noting that her always flyaway light brown tresses looked, quite simply, as though she had been 'dragged through a hedge backwards', as her mother kept informing her in pointed tones. 
"Oh well," the plump thirty-three year old sighed to herself as she put the car into gear. "At least Mum's house is convenient for keeping an eye on Harry, even though it's so close to my place that I haven't got an excuse for not visiting her so often! And she really does need to do something about those cats. And they say _I'm_ cat mad! At least I can cope with a couple of moggies, but she's got at least half a dozen -if not more- running wild about the place!" 
She took her wand out of her pocket and flicked it at the car's radio to start it playing at a wizard channel, MagicMusic 101, and also at her hair to regain it some semblance of order, before pressing her foot on the accelerator and easily backing out of her parking space to the sound of Cassandra Warbuck warbling her way through nearly five minutes of over-emoted tragedy interspersed with clichés. 
Cruising through the streets, she was about to turn to a different frequency when she heard the DJ announce something that made her heart stand still. 
"And now it's time for a blast from the past! It's 'Devil's Touch'- the massively popular all-girl band of 1977-81 with the ever-changing name. 'Devil's Touch' split up in November '81 after the death of their lead singer and co- songwriter, Lily Evans, protecting her young son from You-Know-Who. Her son was Harry Potter, whose father James Potter was an International Chaser for England, and, well, we all know what happened to Harry. Their last ever single, in at number one in a record six countries at once, was _Call Me, Beep Me_, a cover of a muggle tune by a singer called Christina Milian, but we're not playing that today! Instead, we've unearthed the demo tape of a little-known song that was to be recorded the day after Lily's death, and so never made it to release: _The Path of Emerald Green_. Have a listen!" 
My baby went and died today 
_Was just blown away _
_In a flash of emerald green _
_Wish I'd whispered 'I love you' just once more _
_Wish I'd said 'You're the one that I adore'. _
_And I can't say that now, that's for sure _
_Now he's walked down that path of em'rald green _
That old, sweet music: Lily's pure voice, Monique on drums, Erin and Artemis on guitar, Minerva playing the keyboard and herself on the clarinet. A single tear coursed unnoticed down Arabella's face as she remembered the six of them, the best friends playing for the world to hear and spreading instructions from Dumbledore to the international Ministries of Magic at the same time. Somehow they'd never had time to feel afraid as they dashed through the countries and battled Death Eaters in their spare fragments of time. Lily had written this, she recalled, just after Milo Bones' parents had been killed and Milo had been about to go into hiding with his wife and daughter Susan. The 'emerald green' had come from the Avada Kedavra curse being that colour, and Arabella remembered old Luisa Dumbledore commenting how sad it was that nineteen-year-olds knew what the curse was like. Monique, she recalled, had collaborated with Artemis to write the melodies and Erin alone had written the bass part. 
_Don't know _
_Where I should go _
_Should I retrace everywhere we've ever been? _
_Don't know _
_Where I should go _
_Or should I follow his path of emerald green?_
Now the group, not just Devil's Touch but their entire friendship group, the Marauders as they had become known, was sundered: Remus Lupin had spent eleven years as an outcast before returning to Hogwarts as a teacher and to help protect Harry Potter when Sirius Black escaped from Azkaban; Monique James, unable to cope with life in a Britain that condemned her for loving a mass-murderer, had fled to America and changed her surname; Artemis Westhaven and her twin Apollo now worked for the Department of Mysteries, doing God-alone-knew-what with little or no contact with their old friends, or anybody for that matter; and Milo Bones, his wife Cara murdered five years ago by Death Eaters, had become virtually a recluse in an effort to keep his young daughter Susan safe. Meanwhile Minerva McGonagall had turned, according to popular report, into a stern, solitary old martinet at Hogwarts and had registered as an Animagus in order to follow her long-dead father in teaching Transfiguration classes; Erin Seanderson wrote songs professionally with barely a month going by in which one of her creations or co-creations did not reach the Wizarding Top Forty Charts and Mundungus Fletcher, who had never been the brightest brain of their group, had done a good few decidedly 'dodgy' dealings with various miscreants and had several times almost landed himself in severely hot water, Albus Dumbledore having to use his own reputation to get him out of trouble. Arabella herself had thrown herself into her old, Muggle life, popping back to the Wizarding world only at very occasional intervals, though she held a subscription of several years standing to the Daily Prophet and had taken some trouble to get wizarding radio channels on her home and car radios and also to get her house connected to the Floo network 'in case of emergency' as she put it. 
The abrupt blaring of a car horn behind Arabella jolted her out of her reverie and she shook herself mentally, accelerating sharply to just touch the speed limit. Suddenly a large black dog dashed out in front of her and she yelled in surprise, jamming on the brakes with all the power she had, magic included. She barely stopped in time. 
_There's something mighty familiar about that dog,_ she thought suspiciously, slipping her wand out of her pocket and up her sleeve, just in case, as she got out of the car. 
"I knew it!" she shrieked irately, when the dog looked up at her with far too familiar, chocolate, puppy-dog eyes. Arabella backed hastily away, pointing her wand at the dog. "Sirius Black! It's no good looking at me like that, Sirius, even Monique's accepted you're no good!" At her words there was a soft 'poof' and the dog transformed back into a man, holding up his hands to show he was unarmed. 
"No, Arabella, she hasn't," he said softly. "She got me out, you see, and… oh, that's not important, but you have to believe me on this: I'm innocent!" Arabella snorted disbelievingly and Sirius continued, his voice honeyed, persuasive. 
"Look, it was Peter, he and I switched places at the last moment, I was far too obvious and Voldemort's got far too many ways of controlling werewolves; it had to be him! But then he betrayed them… he betrayed Lily and James. I'll admit that I wanted to kill Peter that night, but I wasn't quick enough… he cut his own finger off, then fled into the sewers, blowing up the whole street with his wand behind his back. Then he became the pet of the boy who is best friends with Harry, and I knew he'd strike as soon as his Master gained enough strength. I tried to kill him again, but he escaped- last year. And I got cornered by Dementors in the Hogwarts grounds. Harry, who'd found out all this from me and Remus, saved my life, then he and his other friend Hermione helped me escape when I was imprisoned in the school. I'm not sure how, but they persuaded Dumbledore to believe me…" In spite of herself, Arabella was intrigued; the whole story was so hugely improbable that she felt it almost had to be true. 
"But, why have you come to find me?" she asked. "Wouldn't your best bet have been just to stay sheltered by Remus and Monique?" Sirius sighed. 
"What do you think I did? I had to be careful, though: Remus nearly got the Dementor's Kiss himself when Snape tried to convince Fudge he'd been sheltering me (he hadn't, by the way: until he saw Peter come up on the Marauder's Map he was as convinced of my guilt as the rest of you). But you see, I've come from Dumbledore: Lord Voldemort's returned, and Albus needs help. I'm to round up all the rest too- all the old Marauders and old supporters of our cause. Look: I've got a letter from him." He took a sheaf of yellowed parchment envelopes out of his robes and sorted through till he found the one with Arabella's name, which he threw to her. She caught it mechanically, her brain still moving sluggishly with all the unbelievable information. Automatically she slit it open and pulled out the contents, a single sheet of parchment. She read: 
_Dear Arabella, _
_I am writing to you now of a matter of the utmost importance, rumours of which you may or may not already be hearing: Lord Voldemort has returned, at the end of the Triwizard Tournament, which was reinstated at Hogwarts this term. Four competitors took part: Viktor Krum for Durmstrang, Fleur Delacour for Beauxbatons, and two competitors for Hogwarts: Cedric Diggory and Harry Potter. The latter was added by Bartemius Crouch Jr., long thought to be dead but masquerading undercover at Hogwarts as a teacher, by way of a complicated plan to deliver Harry to Voldemort in order to restore the Dark Lord to his body. The plan worked, although Cedric Diggory was murdered when he got in the way. Lord Voldemort has been restored to a body. However, the Minister for Magic_ _refuses to believe me, and so I was forced to send Sirius to round up your old group of friends as fighters to help me. You will need a new name however: 'The Marauders' is too well known as your title. I hope that you will assist me: we need all the friends we can get in these troubled times. _
Please apparate to Hogsmeade as soon as is possible. Enquire for a joke shop named 'Weasley's Wizard Wheezes', run by (as long as you call on the weekend) identical red-headed twins named Fred and George Weasley. DO NOT EAT ANYTHING THEY MAY OFFER YOU. I cannot answer for the consequences if you do, but those who got off lightest were turned into giant canaries. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED. However, (and keep your wits about you whilst you are in that shop, those twins are lethal) the two will show you into the back room where you will meet your friends. 
Once more, I hope that you will assist, 
Prof. Albus Dumbledore 
She eyed Sirius critically through her spectacles, then drew her wand once more. 
"_Verifium_!" she muttered, twirling her wand in a complicated little pattern. A silver tick shimmered in the air over the letter for a moment before forming, in loopy joined-up writing: _Albus Dumbledore_. 
The critical look faded, and she smiled at Sirius before hugging him. 
"Then I apologise, old friend," she said, smiling. "Am I the last?" 
"Just about," Sirius told her, grinning. "And thanks for not telling about the whole 'Animagi' thing… would have made it a whole lot harder otherwise." 
"I was saving my own skin, as much as yours," she told him firmly, hiding a smile. "Do you have any idea what Dumbledore would have done to us? And then there was that Oath we took… I didn't like to break that. I mean, you hear so many stories…" 
Sirius shook his head. "Wormtail got there before you, Ara, by telling Voldemort. And by the way, as far as everyone except Dumbledore is concerned, there are only four Marauders- me, James, Remus and 
Peter. I thought it was safer- not even Harry knows. He found our map by the way- got given it by the Weasley twins mentioned in your letter, who pinched it from Filch. They're rather brilliant, those two." 
"How the hell did Filch get hold of the Marauder's Map?" asked Arabella, startled. "He never found out to work it, did he?" 
"Not as far as I'm aware," Sirius told her. "Dear old Snapie-poos got insulted by it though… according to Harry his face had to be seen to be believed." He chuckled evilly. "Just as well Moony thought to put in that extra protection system." 
"Are we going to use our old nicknames?" enquired Arabella. "I always rather liked mine." 
"I don't see why not, if we're careful," replied Sirius, considering. "Not all the time though, Feli. And by the way, I got my bike back!" 
Arabella laughed. "Where'd you park it?" she asked. "I hope you remembered to lock it properly this time- d'you remember what happened when those Muggle kids tried to nick it?" Sirius sniggered. 
"Yeah- I've never done so many Memory Charms in my life!" he grinned. "Can you imagine what would've happened if the Ministry had found out?" 
"We'd have been dead meat, Sirius, that's what would have happened," Arabella informed him as sternly as she could while smiling. "Which is precisely what we will be if we stand around here gabbing. I'll just park the car and then I'll follow you, deal?" 
"Deal," Sirius laughed before Disapparating.


	2. A New Beginning

A/N: Well, thank you very much to my reviewers. All _one_ of you. ::glares at everyone:: This is going up anyway, but if I don't get at least five new reviews you won't get the third chapter within the week. Is it so much to ask? On a nicer note, thanks muchly to my lovely reviewer, CassandrAIarwen, for one of my nicest ever reviews.
This would have been up earlier but I've been banned from the net. Living with your parents is hell.
Part 2: A New Beginning
The small room at the back of Weasley's Wizard Wheezes was full almost to bursting with nine young men and women: on a chest of drawers the twins Apollo and Artemis Westhaven lounged back-to-back, Apollo's golden and white blonde spikes falling into his dark blue eyes as he chatted to Remus Lupin, while Artemis' waist-length, straight, ebony tresses swished with her head as she argued a point with Minerva McGonagall, who was sat next to Remus. Minerva looked much younger without her hair in its usual tight bun, though the bags under her eyes spoke of many sleepless nights. Monique James, the tiny, elfin-looking woman who had been Lily Potter's closest friend, swung her legs under the desk she was sitting on, her blue eyes flashing against her pale skin and her short, curly, chocolate hair springing in all directions as she discussed animatedly the latest bands and music with Erin Seanderson, a distant cousin of the Westhaven twins and a close relative of Minerva's. Erin was a tall, Irish young woman with steady grey eyes and wavy, light blonde hair, whose muggle father was brother to Minerva's mother. Milo Bones, an extremely tall, lanky man with a long, earnest face, light brown hair and outsize round glasses that kept falling off his long nose, kept starting nervously at every bang from the shop floor overhead, while Mundungus Fletcher's small, dark eyes peered out belligerently from a round, bulldog-like face. The two were both ex-Hufflepuffs, while Erin, Artemis and Apollo were old Ravenclaws and the rest came from Gryffindor, since Peter Pettigrew had always been the only Slytherin of their group. Sirius, meanwhile, was lounging against the wall in his old pose, watching Monique with dreamy chocolate eyes, though she did not see him.
All heads snapped towards the door at the sound of someone coming, and as a dumpy woman with flyaway light brown hair entered, accompanied by a stocky teenage boy with freckles and flaming red hair, they all leapt from their seats.
"Arabella!" grinned Monique, hugging her old friend, as the rest followed suit, chattering and laughing like the teenagers they once been.
"Have a custard cream?" enquired the boy at the door helpfully, as they broke apart. Monique eyed them doubtfully, her notorious appetite doing battle with a sturdy will for self-preservation.
"What do they do?" she enquired, fixing the boy, who was taller than she was, with a blue-eyed stare that none (aside from Peter Pettigrew) had ever managed to lie to. "And how many has Sirius bought?" True to form, the boy wriggled uncomfortably under her steady glare and then grinned, assuming the sort of soulful expression that was clearly intended to be both ingratiating and innocent. It was neither.
"Um, they're Canary Creams, miss, and, er, Mr. Black bought fifteen." Sirius clapped a hand to his forehead in mock despair as they turned as one to look at him.
"I _told_ you not to tell them, George Weasley! And I had such a nice vision of Monique as a blue canary too!" He looked so woe-begone that they had to laugh.
"Thanks, George, but no thanks," Artemis told him firmly, batting her long eyelashes at him in a way that made him blush and withdraw. Erin giggled.
"Still the same old flirt," she told her friend firmly.
"Speaking of which, who's the latest beau?" asked Minerva. Artemis had the grace to blush.
"Leo Carlyle," she told them. Arabella whistled in surprise.
"So _you're_ the mystery brunette Witch Weekly snapped him with!" she exclaimed. "I _thought_ she looked familiar! I must say, you've done this time, 'Temis. Dating the lead singer of the Wyrd Sisters!"
"Not for much longer, if he carries on being this possessive," said Artemis darkly. "We nearly had a row in the street the other day, and I'd only given this Muggle kid directions!" Monique snorted sceptically. "Seriously, he wasn't even cute," Artemis continued. "And believe me, I _always_ check."
The men of the group rolled their eyes as one.
"Girls…"
"So guys, isn't there kind of the little matter of the world we're supposed to be saving?" said Apollo with a trace of exasperation.
"Didn't our mother ever tell you it's rude to interrupt?" returned Artemis scathingly. "This is important, and anyway, you sound like Treggie." They all chuckled at the memory of their old Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, a stern old martinet with a reputation not dissimilar to Minerva's amongst the students of Hogwarts. What looked to become a promising argument between Artemis and her twin was interrupted by the sound of Sirius coughing loudly and pointedly.
"Um… excuse me? I really hate to break in on an argument, but there's something I've been trying to do…" He was interrupted by an exclamation from Erin.
"Hey, I've got our new name!" she grinned. "Well, we're being led by Dumbledore, whose famous pet is Fawkes the phoenix, and I guess this is kind of like a rebirth for us, too. So how about The Order of The Phoenix?"
"You know, I kinda like that," said Minerva, nodding agreement. "What about you guys?"
Murmurs of assent rumbled around the room.
"I-I've g-got an i-idea t-too," said Milo- he had never managed to defeat his stutter, which came back whenever he was excited, especially happy or afraid. "H-how about w-we ask H-Harry P-Potter and his t-two b-best friends t-to j-join us, to k-kind of m-make up the n-numbers again."
"Yeah, Hermione and Ron will fit in just fine," concurred Remus. "And of course, Harry walks, talks, looks and acts just like James. I don't know which of you have seen him outside photographs, but he's the absolute spitting image of James- but with Lily's green eyes. Or how about Ron's twin brothers, those redheaded twins, Fred and George? They're rather brilliant, those two. The ultimate pranksters."
"But will they take it seriously?" asked Minerva. "I've known those two since they were first years, and I've never once heard them have a serious conversation."
"We'll ask them," said Monique, going to the door. She was about to call up when the most enormous explosion was heard upstairs, accompanied by multiple terrified screams. Fred appeared at the top of the steps.
"Death Eaters in the street outside!" he yelled, his voice panicky. "And the Minister for Magic's out there. You can't get out without being seen, Sirius!"
"Never mind that," Minerva said brusquely, pulling out her wand and mounting the stairs three at a time. "We can take care of it. Just get anyone who's hurt in here- and for pity's sake _be careful_!"
There was a pop and Sirius became an enormous black dog in front of their eyes, following Minerva up into the shop and into the street, dashing out into the unknown and strident daylight with the others.


	3. A Meeting With The Minister

A/N: Muchas thankies to all my sweet, lovely reviewer-people! I'll do credits and shout-outs for everyone who's reviewed when I get up to twenty reviews, hint hint. Apologies for the lateness, I got banned again, and in the Easter holidays too... blasted parents. The next few chapter should turn up pretty quick, I've written as far as chapter five and I'm now halfway through chapter 6. Beta readers are always welcome, if you want to give me a nice Easter surprise, though Merry, Pippin, (from the LotR film) Sirius and Remus on a leash will do just as well. Sick, aren't I?
If you only read one other fanfiction this holidays, read Feeling Sorry For Hermione by jaffacake and join the lobby for the darn girl to update (apologies if she's done so since I checked five minutes ago) or, if you've a hankering for Legolas (in other words, if you're female with a pulse), read A Mirkwood Elf in Dumbledore's Court by Sun Queen. Shirtless Legolas, girls, it's _all_ good.
The Marauders' Return 3: A Meeting With The Minister
The Hogsmeade street was in chaos as roughly a dozen Death Eaters and two Dementors closed in on a cheese-white Minister for Magic.
"Padfoot, get out of here, help the twins!" Monique snapped to the dog at her side. He stuck his tongue out at her for a second then raced over to the other end of the street, where two Death Eaters were attacking Fred and George, who were standing protectively in front of a young woman and her small baby. Sirius took the first from behind, sinking his teeth into his shoulder and dragging him away as Fred used his Quidditch bat to whack the other round the head with an almighty thump. He fell to the ground, knocked out, and George ushered the woman and baby inside their shop with a snap of "Touch _nothing_ in there!"
Milo raised one arm into the air, his stutter vanished as he yelled, "Hufflepuff, aid your heir!" At once in his hands appeared a large staff made of some shiny jet-black wood, the top being composed of a large lump of amber. This he wielded with breathtaking skill in place of a wand, at an eye blurring speed, for Milo was a distant relative of Helga Hufflepuff, and as such was granted the ability to wield Hufflepuff's own weapon, a staff with fierce magical powers of its own. Mundungus' fists were flailing dangerously as he thumped the nearest Death Eater with all the fervour of a Slytherin-Gryffindor punch-up. Monique's small form slipped through the screaming crowds like quicksilver, kicking the legs out from underneath a Death Eater before he even realised she was there, leaving him for Erin to finish off. Another prepared to perform the Cruciatus curse on a young girl but Minerva got there first, pulling the girl out of the way with her left hand as her right held her wand.
"_Stupefy_!"
Apollo and Artemis fought side by side, their black belt karate skills just as dangerous as their wands as they defended a group of teenagers from three Death Eaters. Suddenly a Dementor loomed behind them. They spun round to face it as a silver beam blazed from each of their foreheads, connecting and shimmering upwards to form a tiny woman even smaller than Monique- their triplet sister, Artemina. 'Mina, as she was known, had been murdered by Death Eaters on her ninth birthday, but her soul had continued to grow inside her twin brother and sister, emerging at times of extreme danger to form a very special Patronus, one with a voice- and a fiery personality.
"I'll handle it!" Artemina told her siblings. "Watch your back!" The twins wheeled around just in time to avoid an Avada Kedavra curse from the lead Death Eater. Artemis kneed him just below the belt and he fell to the ground, where Apollo knocked him out before the two leaped over him to do the same to the other two. Artemina, meanwhile, launched a high-kick at the Dementor that cracked its neck, then drove it away with a blaze of blue flame.
Arabella darted in front of two of the remaining Death Eaters, who were currently attacking a fatly quivering Cornelius Fudge. His wand was spluttering hopefully but having no effect on his attackers.
"I don't know why the hell I'm doing this, but here goes," she muttered from between clenched teeth. "_Impedimenta_!"
The two Death Eaters were driven backwards, one falling over and striking his head on the hard pavement. He didn't move. Arabella's foot swung outwards in a dangerous arc, crashing into the other's knee and bringing him down.
"_Stupe_- what the hell?" her concentration was broken by the sound of frantic yelping from behind her. She swung round, but could see nothing but milling crowds. Monique and the others had plainly heard it too, judging by their expressions. Everyone backed off as Monique raced in the direction of the sound, her face pale and her blue eyes dangerous. It was probably just as well that they moved away from her, for as well as being more powerful than the ordinary witch, Monique was also a brilliant street fighter, Lily (who had won a number of kickboxing prizes, including Best of Britain three years running) having taught her as much as she could. Arabella felt something burning rush past her face. She whipped round; the Death Eater she had been about to knock out had recovered and was advancing on her fast. She tried to think of the right spell, but her brain had jammed.
_Swoosh! _
A blue-flighted arrow went darting_ past her face, embedding itself in the Death Eater's skull. Arabella couldn't see who had fired it, but she didn't care too much as she headed in the direction of the yelping sound as fast as she could._
At the far end of the street Sirius (as Padfoot) was having the time of his life as he bit a Death Eater in the knee as hard as he could, watching the others at the same time. He noticed Arabella's difficulties with the Death Eaters and watched for a little too long- he yelped as he was gripped in an iron hold by a Dementor that Fudge had brought with him and the shock of its icy, clammy grip made him transform back into a man. Trying desperately to force his limbs into action, he struggled frantically and finally kicked out, forcing the Dementor to drop him but striking his head against the nearby wall as he fell. And Sirius blacked out… 
The people around her backed hastily away as Monique slammed her way through the crowds, using sharp elbows and hard feet unmercifully as she fought her way through the people, uneasily familiar with the yelp she had heard but too short to see what was going on. Finally she made it to the front, and the sight made her heart stop: Sirius lay crumpled on the ground like a rag doll as a Dementor advanced on him with Fudge watching, a triumphant smirk on his round face and the last Death Eater hovering nearby. A strangled scream burst from her as she flung herself forwards in front of Sirius, pushing the Dementor away and trying desperately to shield the man on the ground. 
"No!" she sobbed, her voice catching, her blue eyes terrified but resolute. "Leave him alone! You can't, you can't, he's _innocent_…" 
The Dementor gripped her by the shoulders, lifting her and forcing her face upwards as she struggled desperately, dropping her wand. She could see the house in Godric's Hollow in rubble; Lily's cold, tanned brown arm stretching out of the ruins, and her frozen, dead green eyes as she pulled her out; hear Harry crying for his mother, see Sirius being dragged away by Aurors, see her tiny dead baby lying grey and cold in a coffin as she ceased to fight against the Dementor's iron hold… 
But then a ghostly-looking silver fist slammed into the Dementor from behind and it dropped her as Artemina swung it round, her silvery form fading now but still powerful. Monique slipped to the floor, crawling over to Sirius and cradling his head with one hand as the other searched for a pulse point, the nightmarish memories receding along with the Dementor. Her shoulders sagged with relief as she felt the steady but weak drumming at his temples that proved he was still alive. 
"Move, girl!" snapped Fudge. "And call that- that _thing_ off!" 
"Artemina won't come," said Apollo quietly, forcing his way out of the crowd with Artemis behind him. "She follows only us." 
The rest of the Marauders struggled out of the crowd, standing between Sirius and Fudge as a human shield with Artemina in front of all of them, still struggling with the Dementor. Apollo took the last Death Eater from behind, punching him so hard to the neck he was knocked out instantly, then muttering the Binding spell to stop him escaping. 
"You'll have to take out all ten of us to get to him!" Remus told the (rapidly turning puce with barely-suppressed fury) Minister for Magic. 
"Make that twelve!" came two voices behind him, as Fred and George Weasley made their way to stand with the others. Artemis gave the two of them the thumbs-up and Erin winked. 
"Thirteen!" snapped another voice, as a teenage Asian girl carrying a sapphire-encrusted bow and quiver of blue-flighted arrows (clearly denoting her as Arabella's rescuer of earlier) joined them. Fudge's eyes flashed dangerously. 
"And who might you be?" he enquired irritably. 
"My name is Cho Chang," she told him calmly. "I'm a relative of Rowena Ravenclaw, and if the wisest House can give him a chance to prove his innocence, why can't you?" 
"I won't move, Fudge," Monique told him ominously from her position on the ground, kneeling next to Sirius. "You'll have to take me out to get to him, and I'm by no means unconscious." 
Fudge turned to her. "My dear," he said, surprisingly gently, "Is he really worth it?" 
"My friends and I just risked our butts saving your life, Fudge!" she said scornfully. "Did we ask if _you_ were worth it? But yes, he is worth it. He's worth _everything_…" 
Sirius came back to consciousness with a groan and she turned back to him, one hand reaching out to scrabble for her wand and picking it up again. 
"Hey babe," she smiled softly. "You OK?" Sirius grinned weakly. 
"Yeah," he murmured. "My head kinda aches, though." Monique muttered the pain-relieving charm and he relaxed with a smile, then found her hand and held it tight. 
Artemina wasn't having much luck with the Dementor, however: she had been in her Patronus state for too long to have very much power left and eventually she disappeared with a soft _poof_, silver light rushing back to Artemis and Apollo. The others drew their wands once more, pointing them straight at the Dementor. 
"_Expecto Patronum_!" they roared as if with one voice, and the Dementor exploded, shattering into tiny ash-like pieces that flew in all directions. Fudge squeaked in fright, a high, involuntary sound. 
Minerva dropped back from the semi-circular shield they had formed, dropping to her knees beside Monique. "How are we going to get him out of here?" she muttered to her friend. "I don't think he can 
Apparate, not in his state, and it's dangerous to Transfigure living human beings- anything could go 
wrong, and knowing Sirius, it probably will." 
Sirius raised his head. "Get me my wand. I can Apparate, I'll be fine." Minerva silenced him with a single Look, much like the one she was wont to use on offending students at Hogwarts. 
"Not a snowball's chance on a sunny day, mate," she told him firmly. "Fudge can still perform Avada Kedavra on a splinched guy, you know, and that's what you'll do to yourself, laddie." 
Monique outlined her plan to Minerva. "I'll never be able to carry him, I'm not that sure if I can even run- twisted my ankle when that Dementor dropped me. So it looks like we're going have to try the old diversion tactics. Remus is the strongest, him and Mundungus, anyway, so they can get Sirius out of here- use the Floo powder in the twins' shop, while us and the rest of the guys distract Fudge and the Aurors." 
A thought struck Minerva. "Hang on a sec, is there anything we can use as a Portkey?" Sirius grinned. 
"Now _that's_ a plan!" he chuckled. "Try someone's boot- _not_ mine, anyone who touches it will probably catch Bubonic Plague or something." Monique rolled her eyes. 
"You've been staying at Remus' again, haven't you?" she sighed, wrinkling her nose. "I swear, you seem to forget how to wash every time you hang around with the guys." Sirius winked. 
"Aw, you know you love me really." 
"Whatever."


	4. At Hogwarts in the Holidays

A/N: OK, _one_ reviewer?!?!?! I need feedback, people! Pretty please? 
Well, I guess this chapter and the last-but-one (where they all met up again) were kind of mainly focused on the relationships between the Marauders and also about how they're really still a lot like teenagers the way they crack jokes and are still kind of irresponsible; Sirius was incarcerated in Azkaban when he was still only just twenty so he never really got the chance to grow up and the rest haven't really focused a lot on that because they all threw themselves into careers or whatever in an attempt to forget what they'd been through, so they haven't really known responsibility. Milo's probably the eldest, mentality-wise, because he's had to look after his daughter on his own since she was ten and he's been in and out of 'safe' houses which are rarely safe for very long, so he's had to face up to a lot of things the others haven't.
Also, this is set in the evening of the same day as the previous chapters. Those who wanted double-spaced chapters were going to get them but I hate double-spaced writing and I'm not feeling all that generous on account of the _one_ lonely new review. Sorry if I'm grumbling, but it was such a let-down after having six the chapter before.
Part 4: At Hogwarts in the Holidays 
_…So Minerva turned her shoe into a Portkey and we used it to get to Hogwarts while the rest of the gang Apparated. Milo nearly splinched himself, poor guy, but Erin grabbed him and Portkey-ed the two of them out of there- just as well she's good at Transfiguration, she had to turn her watch into a Portkey to do it. I won't tell you where we are now in case this is intercepted- Corny Fudge was going absolutely demented according to the Daily Prophet, Monique's having to send her news stories in via a third person, or he wouldn't let them accept the stories and we'd be totally penniless. Let's just say we're all safe for now. I don't reckon Fudge knows about me being an Animagus, there's been nothing written anywhere about it and he wasn't actually there when I transformed back to a man, he was too busy having his hide saved by Arabella. I really don't know why she bothered… Hope your friend Ron's twin brothers are OK; Fudge'll probably be causing hell about what they did. Tell them thanks from me, please? _
_Oh yeah, and Milo's daughter Susan nearly got killed, did you hear? One of the Death Eaters we didn't knock out properly went back to Milo's house by way of revenge- Apollo and Artemis only just got her out in time. She's in your year at Hogwarts, Hufflepuff house- Susan Bones. She knows about Peter and all, so she'll help you out if you need it. _
_Anyway, we've all been working together on a little story about what we were like at Hogwarts, I thought it was better that you should know the whole truth before you go back to Hogwarts in September. It should definitely make for some interesting reading matter… Monique sent it just after we got back, with Lily's diary enclosed, so you should have it by now. _
_Keep safe, and don't let the Muggles get you down! _
_Snuffles._
Sirius rolled up the piece of parchment and attached it to the waiting tawny owl in the Hogwarts Owlery. It gave a soft hoot of farewell before fluttering out into the night, backed by an almost-full moon. He was so intent on watching its flight he didn't see the young woman enter the room until she tapped him on the shoulder. Almost immediately she found herself pinned against the wall with one hand at her stomach and the other around her throat. Seeing who it was, Sirius backed up in surprise. 
"Christ Monique, you scared me!" 
"I noticed," Monique told him dryly, kissing the tips of his long white fingers. "But please, that 'incident' with the Dementor today? Don't you ever do that to me again. _Ever_." Sirius smiled, wrapping his arms around her. 
"I'll try to keep that in mind." 
"Sirius, can you please stop treating everything as a joke? I know it used to be everyone's way of handling things, but oh- I don't know- it's just- just…" 
"Hey, shush, calm down." Sirius pulled her closer to him, feeling her small tense body relax in his arms. "What's brought this on? You used to be one of the main ones for making a joke of stuff, you and Lily and James and me- it was always Remus or Apollo or Milo that were the serious ones." 
Monique looked up at him, her eyes unusually serious. "It's what- what Lily told me, just before she died: she- she said to keep an eye on Harry, look after him, stop him from getting hurt. I think she knew what she was going to do if Voldemort came calling, knew what she would have to do to keep Harry alive: die for him. But- Harry's had three near-death experiences already, and he's not even fifteen yet! I-I don't want to fail her, Sirius." 
Sirius sighed. "I know, I know: James said about the same to me. Honestly, though, I don't see that there's much we can do- even wrapping Harry up in cotton wool and guarding him day and night won't make much difference, not really. The Gryffindor and Hufflepuff heirs are always going to be targeted by Death Eaters because they've got the fewest numbers, and the Prophecy states that we need an heir for each of the three other houses to defeat Slytherin's own descendant, so there's only two people to murder and Voldemort's basically unbeatable, even by Dumbledore, since he's a closer blood relative to Godric Gryffindor's brother Gawain than to Godric Gryffindor himself. We need to get James' brother Michael back: never mind that he's paralysed from the waist down, technically he can still wield Gryffindor's sword so he still counts as an heir. Look at it this way: admittedly we've lost the First Gryffindor heir, but Milo and Susan have lived, so we've still got Hufflepuff, and that Cho Chang is the Ravenclaw heir, and she's definitely got at least one sister, Cleo, and both parents: there's always hope." 
"I hope so, Sirius," Monique murmured, snuggling closer to him. "I hope so."
Artemis, Minerva and Erin had a room between them, a large comfortably appointed place decorated in various shades of blue and bronze that strongly reminded Artemis of the Ravenclaw common room. 
"Hey, I wonder if Mistopheles is still guarding the entrance to Ravenclaw Tower?" asked Erin suddenly, referring to the cantankerous old eagle stitched to the tapestry entrance to the Ravenclaw dormitories and common room, who guarded it with a stubborn zeal and a memory far surpassing that of any elephant. 
"I would have thought so," replied Artemis, after a moment's thought. "Minerva, do you know?" 
Minerva, though an old Gryffindor, knew every single Common room pretty well, not just because she had taught at Hogwarts for nearly fifteen years but also because the Marauders, by virtue of having members in every house, had pretty much had the freedom of the school's Common Rooms. 
The Slytherins alone had discouraged them, but none of the members of the prankster group –with the notable exception of Peter Pettigrew, a Slytherin himself, after all- had ever had much liking for the bulk of the Slytherins anyway so it had never really bothered them. 
"As far as I know," answered Minerva. "I never really go there any more- it's Filius Flitwick's job now, and the Ravenclaws tend to regard any non-Ravenclaws who enter with pretty icy hostility. Why don't we go and find out later on? Bet you any money he'll remember us if he _is_ there- you two, at the very least." 
"I know his memory always _was_ the best, but after nearly fifteen years? You're on!" laughed Artemis. "Two Galleons says he doesn't remember us- or at least that he doesn't remember all our names." 
"I look forward to spending your money," Minerva told her firmly, her eyes dancing as they shook hands on the bet. Artemis chuckled. 
"I wouldn't bet on that- but oh, yes, it appears that you have, haven't you? Oh well, better luck next time, Minnie Mouse!" She ducked hastily as Minerva threw a cushion at her in retaliation for the use of her much-hated nickname. Erin smiled lazily, wagging a highly ironic cautionary finger at the two. 
"Now, now, girls, settle down." 
*** 
In Remus and Apollo's room, meanwhile, the two boys were discussing the oncoming full moon. 
"What d'you reckon, Remus?" Apollo asked casually as he packed his things into a chest of drawers. "How about another Full Moon night out?" 
"I don't know," said Remus doubtfully. "After all the close shaves we've had- and all the stuff that's happening now- do you think it's a good idea?" 
"But we've got the Wolfsbane potion now, there won't be any close shaves 'cause you'll keep your mind when you transform, same as the rest of us," answered Apollo dismissively. "C'mon Rems, it'll be a laugh- and that's just what we need right now." 
"D'you really think Snape'll make it for me?" asked Remus with a forced laugh. "I mean, last time I saw him he was going to have the Dementors perform the Kiss on me." 
"Who needs Snape when we've got Monique and Artemis?" the other replied. "I mean, have you ever seen a potion those two _can't_ make, between 'em? Though Snapie'll have a fit if he finds out they've been using his beloved Potions lab. Hey, this idea gets better and better!" 
Remus laughed, a proper laugh this time. "What happened to the quiet, sensible Apollo Westhaven, always there to restrain his beloved twin sister when she wanted to kill someone?" Apollo shrugged. 
"I'm on pills for it," he said without missing a beat. "And I do have _some_ sense left in me somewhere, but it tends to diminish when you've spent nearly fifteen years working for the Ministry. I'm surprised Arthur Weasley hasn't wound up in St. Mungo's by now!" 
"Well, not only that but he also lives with Fred and George and he _still_ hasn't gone crazy, so I expect that when you're surrounded by so much chaos you develop a sort of defence mechanism to it. Your problem is, you're too used to normality." 
"After nine years spent being a member of the Marauders you accuse me of being too used to normality?!" 
Snape burst into the room, interrupting the conversation. 
"Excuse me," said Remus mildly. "but I believe the custom is to knock?" Ignoring Apollo, Snape pointed an accusing finger at Remus, seemingly too infuriated to speak; he literally quivered with rage and his long, greasy hair flew in all directions around his sallow face. His hooked nose had gone literally white with fury, something Apollo recognized from long periods of antagonisation as being a very bad sign. The only time the Marauders had managed to make Snape angry enough to do that had been when Sirius had asked Monique out right in front of him and she had agreed, thus loosing Snape a very large amount of money to his most hated rival, James. Apollo slid his wand out of his pocket and watched with interest as Snape, quite simply, spat with fury. 
"You, you…" Words seemed to fail the Potions master. 
"Gorgeous thing, you?" supplied Erin, entering. "You mean you've finally given in to Remus' charms, Snape? It was only a matter of time, though I think Minerva might have something to say on the subject." Remus and Apollo chuckled; Erin had always been good at being obnoxious when she particularly wanted to be. 
"I noticed you approached the calmer members in residence first, Snape," observed Apollo conversationally. "Well, I'd be careful, since I believe Monique and Minerva have quite some score to settle with you. Trying to get their boyfriends given the Dementors' Kiss isn't exactly the way to win friends and influence people, Severus." 
"How- how dare you come here?" demanded Snape, finally managing to regain the power of speech. 
"Well, Monique, Sirius, Erin and Milo came by Portkey and everyone else Apparated as close as they could, then walked," replied Remus calmly. "Why?" 
"You know exactly what I mean, Lupin," growled Snape. "I'm going to get revenge for that trick you played on me if it takes me a lifetime." 
"Which trick was that?" enquired Erin with interest. "Because if it was the one where Harry showed the entire school a picture of you in pink frilly knickers with those delightful little red hearts and roses (and very fetching they were, too) you can blame Sirius. As usual, I should point out. Oops, you weren't supposed to know about that, were you?" 
Remus and Apollo snorted softly, realising what she was up to. They'd worked out back in second year Hogwarts that the best way to turn an angry, nasty Snape into an angry but baffled –and therefore unable to hex or curse- Snape was to try to distract him with illogical questions and by deliberately misunderstanding him. Or maybe it was just good fun, but they didn't really care which. 
"No, it was the Neville incident," said Apollo firmly, looking deeply amused. "You know, where Remus taught Ena Longbottom's grandson how to dress Snape in her clothes? I can't believe we didn't get a picture!" 
With a strange explosive snort of rage, Snape spun on his heel and stalked out of the room, in such a hurry that he smashed into the doorframe. Giddy and holding a hand to his nose, which was gushing blood, he toppled unsteadily down the corridor. Erin immediately copied the snort and they all descended helplessly into hysterical laughter, which only grew when Remus handed out a photo of Snape in said grandmother's clothing that he had, after all, managed to take. 


	5. The Vengeance Of Minerva McGonagall

BASHING WARNING: Snape fans are unlikely to enjoy this chapter. I don't especially dislike the guy, but I can't especially see any of the Marauders having warm, fuzzy feelings for him. Although perhaps this is a _little_ extreme… 

A couple of revelations of Minerva's past, and yay! We finally find a trace of a plot! 

The Vengeance of Minerva McGonagall 

"Thank you." Dumbledore's voice was soft, reassuring to the sixteen-year-old who stood before him in his office. The boy was shaking convulsively; his blonde hair, normally so immaculate, completely dishevelled. A vivid red gash slithered across one white cheek. 

"You understand what I am asking of you in this?" 

The boy seemed to feel some justification was needed, so he rushed into speech. "S-sir, my father took me with him last night, when he went to meet the Death Eaters. I saw them torture and kill somebody and- and I helped. They made me." A single tear ran down Draco Malfoy's cheek, in what Dumbledore suspected was the first show of vulnerability he had been allowed to display since infanthood. Since it had been beaten out of him. "I-I can't do that, sir. I can't kill the- the way they do. Without any feeling or- or any caring at all. But I can't back out now-" slowly he pulled up the robes covering his left arm and exposed the burning red mark branded to his pale arm. "So- I want to help. I want to do something." 

"Very well. I will be in touch, Draco. And- be careful." The child- for a child he still was, despite all his bluster to the contrary- nodded, then threw Floo powder into the fire. 

"Malfoy Manor," he said with a quiet firmness, and vanished. 

Always the same. Children on the front line, fighting when they should be playing. And they'll go and get themselves killed, and they'll never have lived. Never truly lived, the way we have. It was the same in the last war. The old wizard shook himself mentally, forcing away his reverie. 

Dumbledore now advanced to the fire, throwing a pinch of a different powder into it. 

"Severus, I need a word, if you would." A moment later, Professor Severus Snape, Dumbledore's most important spy, strode out of the flames. 

"You wished to see me, Headmaster?" 

"Yes- _and call me Albus!_" Dumbledore corrected automatically. "Draco Malfoy came to see me just now. He told me that he has been formally initiated into Lord Voldemort's Black Circle. He also told me that he wished to be a spy for the Light." Dumbledore watched the Potions Master-turned-spy carefully as his news sank in, but Snape displayed no reaction whatsoever. 

"I need you to switch any Veritaserum he may have to drink with some other liquid. Can you manage that?" 

"I should imagine so, but I can give you no promises on the subject." 

Dumbledore nodded understandingly. "Also- do you think he was speaking the truth?" 

Snape considered for a moment, the sort of behaviour that had always marked him as being so different from Sirius and James, his hated enemies. "I see no reason why not, Headmaster. The younger Malfoy has always struck me as being–if you'll pardon the expression- 'all mouth and no trousers'. He professes undying hatred to Harry Potter, but he does not automatically go for his wand every time he sees him, in the way that I would have for James. He rarely fires curses at Mr. Potter himself, generally at his friends or when his back is turned, and is more fond of calling him names than acting. In my experience, those who grew up to be truly dedicated Death Eaters would almost certainly have attempted, at the very least, to kill or seriously wound Potter before now. On the other hand, it may simply be a wish to keep his nose clean, to bide his time and to set himself up for his current job. It is difficult to say." Snape blinked in surprise at himself, the way he tended to do whenever he made a speech. 

"His 'current job' as you put it, being to pretend to be a spy for the Light while in reality being a spy for Voldemort?" 

"You don't need me to tell you that, Headmaster." 

"Perhaps not, but you're so damned hard to pin down, Severus." Severus blinked again. He'd never before heard Dumbledore use any sort of bad language, however mild. Clearly the man was under some strain. 

"I believe I've stayed alive for most of my thirty-three years by being that way. Why should I break the habit?" 

"Ease for those who know you?" Dumbledore suggested. 

"Why should I drag those around me into danger by being accessible and therefore friend material?" 

"Do stop with the sacrificing hero act, Severus, it's most unbecoming," Albus told him with more than a hint of irritation. "You'll get me started, and I'm sure that's not something you'll wish to hear. You _are_ alive, however you may have managed it, so get living, or where's the point? But what I wanted to tell you before we got, ahem, sidetracked by melancholy, is that I have called a meeting of the new recruits this evening in this office and I want you to attend. You don't have to talk to Sirius, or even to acknowledge his presence. Nonetheless, the information we will be sharing will be of use to you also." 

What could he do but to agree? But Monique would be there… he hadn't seen his old crush for years. 

"Very well, Headmaster." 

"I believe I keep telling you to call me Albus, like the rest of the staff." 

"To do that would put me on a level with a werewolf," Severus observed dryly, stepping back into the fire from whence he had emerged and disappearing back to the dungeons without waiting for an answer, for he suspected that he had gone too far. 

"I am alive… I'd never have guessed." 

*** 

_Snape has arrived early to the meeting_, Minerva noted, alone in the meeting room. _Good. I've been wanting to do this for a full year, and my temper never did like to be kept waiting._

It had not been until the summer holidays following Harry Potter's third year of Hogwarts that Minerva had received an explanation from Remus, her boyfriend of long standing, of what had happened on that night in the Shrieking Shack when Wormtail had reappeared, including the part where Snape had threatened Remus and Sirius with the Dementor's Kiss. Minerva had been incensed, but Snape had conveniently disappeared during the holidays, and had been careful the next year that she only met him in Hogwarts, when there were plenty of people around. Minerva, who adored the job she had followed her dead father into (except when she was trying to batter some respect into Slytherins), had no intention in jeopardising her position as both Head of Gryffindor House and Deputy Headmistress by exacting revenge in school time, though it had taken all of the not-inconsiderable self-restraint she had. That, she decided, would be playing absolutely into Snape's hands. So, with the enduring patience of the cat she transformed into, she had waited. For right _now_. 

"Snape," she snapped. He looked startled as he saw her; she suspected he had thought himself alone. _He wishes._ _Bugger my self-control. _"I heard about the Dementors last year. A little from Sirius, a little from Remus. And amongst the stuff I heard from Sirius there was one bit he was _very_ angry about- a _very_ interesting quote from you concerning Remus. Remember what you said, back in the Shrieking Shack?" 

"Minerva, I- I was- He- he-" 

But the woman wasn't listening. No longer was she the little girl whose crippling shyness had earned her the nickname Minnie Mouse back in her first year of Hogwarts. Minerva McGonagall, almost certainly the most powerful witch amongst the teachers of Hogwarts, wasn't a little girl any longer. She was angry- very, very angry… 

"Shall I quote? _I'll drag the werewolf. Perhaps the Dementors will have a kiss for him, too... _And you would have done that... He was innocent, and you would have done that… You and your little friends in Slytherin weren't content, were you, when Lucius Malfoy tried to take my- my body back in our fifth year of Hogwarts? Or when your Death Eater pals killed my father? No, you had to try to take the man I loved as well, just as soon as you got the chance! No matter that it was a fate worse than death itself, he'd hurt you, and you had to hurt him back, a thousand times worse! Well, I'm not some shy little kid any longer, Snape, I can hold my own in a fight without Lily and Remus and the others to stand up for me, and I'm finally up for payback, you- you-" 

_Smack!_ She hit him in the face, just below the eye, with all the strength she could muster, careful that her knuckles hit his cheekbones for maximum pain, for Monique had not been the only one to learn some fighting skills from Lily Evans... 

"Bastard!" 

She pushed her face as close to his as she could for added impact, snarling like a wounded tiger. 

"You come anywhere near Remus or any of my other friends again, and so God help me, I won't just put you in the Infirmary, I'll put you in the morgue. _Are we clear?_" Snape didn't have the chance to reply before she brought her knee up, smashing into his crotch, then kicked him as he crumpled. She swung her leg back, preparing to kick him again, but Erin burst into the room and yanked her away, grabbing the arm that threatened to hit her as well. 

"Minerva… calm down, he's not worth it, you won't give Monique a chance at him either if you send him to the Infirmary, calm down, c'mon cousin, self control, you've hit him, now leave him alone and for pity's sake _calm down_." Artemis and Apollo arrived with the near perfect sync that was almost certainly to do with being twins; definitely no one else had ever quite managed it. Astoundingly, the normally volatile Artemis remained calm despite the situation, hanging on to Minerva's other arm and repeating Erin's order to calm down. Meanwhile, Apollo dropped beside Snape, checking that he was all right, for only once in his twenty or more years of knowing Minerva McGonagall had he seen her lose control like this, and that had been when the news of Lily and James' death had reached her. That night, she had personally brought down nearly twenty Death Eaters for Azkaban on her own. However, as soon as he was sure that Snape was conscious, Apollo stood up and went to help the girls calm Minerva down, clearly feeling that it was no more than the man deserved. After all, back in their fifth year, Snape's best friend Lucius Malfoy had attempted to rape Minerva, almost certainly egged on by his friends, in revenge for a prank played on them. There were two reasons he had not been expelled for this, the first being that thanks to Remus Lupin he didn't succeed. The second was that, incensed by what he had tried to do, Sirius told Snape how to find Remus in the Shrieking Shack, nearly killing Snape… Dumbledore had felt that one cancelled out the other, and that he could not expel both boys. He merely allowed the Marauders- and the rest of the school- to make life hell for those Slytherins who it was felt to have been involved, for the rest of their school career. Not even two years afterwards, Lucius Malfoy had murdered Minerva's American-Scots father, Michigan. It was as though the Death Eaters had a personal vendetta against her, determined to rob her of everything she had. 

Snape struggled to his feet, a black eye blooming, just as the others succeeded in calming their irate friend. She'd never fought anybody like this before, not even the Death Eaters she'd fought on the night of Lily and James' deaths. But all that fury had been building up below the surface for a year like a dormant volcano, making the explosion, when it came, worse than anyone could anticipate. 

*** 

Ten minutes later, Dumbledore swept in, bringing with him his usual air of refined calm. It swept through the room, repairing the frayed tempers of those in it. Sighing, her anger now completely spent, Minerva went to the glassless window, leaning out to breathe in the coolness of the summer night. The breeze whispered through her hair- she kept it loose in the holidays- pulling the waist length ebony tresses back off her neck as she watched the almost-full moon, at peace for once. The wind didn't tease her or make her feel nervous or worried the way people did, it didn't tell her things she didn't want to believe, of murders and torture and betrayal. She wondered how it had felt for Lily, when her Animagus form- a green-eyed snowy owl- had let her soar on the breezes, to twist and dive and roll on the currents. 

Minerva missed Lily with a kind of aching sadness: the normally wild, hot-tempered girl had understood her, had known when to let her be and when to comfort. She could see Lily right now, eyes sparkling with fury as she faced down the gang of Death Eaters who'd had the misfortune to be stupid enough to try to take Harry from her; without terror, only scorn, a dangerous smile playing round her perfect features. That had been the day they'd heard that fateful news from Dumbledore: of the spy in their midst. They'd always assumed that they were a team, could count on each other for everything, and that while they were together they were unbeatable, that things would always work out the way they always had before. Then when the news broke they'd begun to look at each other sideways, to hold secrets –even ordinary, commonplace information and gossip!- back that would normally have been spilled immediately. It had been the saddest thing of all, that such close friends could be blown apart that way, to think that friendship and love could not always conquer all they way they'd always believed. 

When they'd heard the news of Lily and James' death, Minerva had felt only rage, blazing, unconquerable fury at the unfairness of it all, for they had been beautiful, the handsome man and the lovely woman with their perfect baby. So, so unbelievably perfect, so _alive_, with so much to give, and only twenty-one… The tears had come later, the hopeless, abandoned sobbing late into the night, for she had lost three of her best friends and the man she had thought had been another. Even Remus hadn't spoken for nearly a month after Lily and James' deaths- even at the funeral he had barely said a word. Then they'd both hurled themselves into work, and even some full moons she hadn't always been there with him. 

Minerva whirled around as she felt soft hands touch her shoulders. It was Remus. 

"Shhh…" he murmured, wrapping his arms round her, careless of the presence of others the way he had never been when they'd first gone out together. "Steady, now. What's wrong?" 

"Oh- nothing." Her denial was a little too insistent; Remus' steady green-grey eyes showed his doubt. 

"Just- remembering." 

Remus didn't look at all convinced, but let it pass. "You did a good job with Snape," he said, softly 

enough that the man couldn't hear. Minerva coloured, but he just laughed. "He'll be limping for a good while- Artemis put a charm on him so he can't magically heal the bruises; she wants the pupils to see them when they come back in a week or so." 

"Oh hell- what's Dumbledore going to say?" 

"What can he do? You didn't hit him in school time and the general consensus is that Snape deserved it anyway. Monique'll be furious though: she swore she was going to beat the living daylights out of him a while ago, but you got there first." 

Minerva laughed properly for the first time. "I think she'll be so chuffed the greasy bastard got his comeuppance she won't get too mad; I hope so anyway. I mean, did you see her the last time she completely lost her temper? It wasn't pretty." 

"D'you mean when she first spoke to Dumbledore about Harry living with his aunt and uncle? The time she totally and utterly lost it so completely I doubted she'd ever get it back again?" 

Minerva chuckled. "That's the one." 

"You know, I've noticed something these past few days that I never saw before; in the group I mean," Remus mused. "It's like we're almost taking on aspects of Lily and James personalities: I mean, look at Monique and Sirius; they've sort of stepped into their best friends' shoes by becoming the leaders the way Lily and James were. We got busted by Snape earlier and Erin used Lily's sort of caustic wit on him- a comment about him fancying me- which totally cracked us up. Apollo's turning more like his sister (and you know how scary that would be) every day, and Artemis actually managed to stay calm under difficult circumstances- not unlike James. And then you, beating up Snape! That's Lily to the life." 

Minerva smiled thoughtfully. "Hmm, I suppose you're right." 

*** 

Monique grinned as she watched the two lovebirds at the window, glad that they'd finally got back together but less than happy that Minerva had beaten her to Snape. 

_I promised myself I'd get him,_ she thought ruefully, studying the limping, black-eyed man sitting as far away from Sirius and herself as he could manage. _Well, there's plenty of time for that yet, and anyway, old Tippaws _does _seem to have done a good job…_

Dumbledore coughed pointedly, and Minerva and Remus jumped in surprise, blushing as they made their ways over to sit next to the Westhaven twins, who sat on Monique's left. Sirius was to her right, with Erin and Milo talking quietly further along. Mundungus and Arabella sat next to them, on the left of Dumbledore, who sat at the head of the long table with Snape at his right. The old man looked quietly amused, his blue eyes twinkling as he surveyed the table. Five seats were empty: the places that had always been reserved for Lily and James (Snape sat in Peter's old place, a source of unspoken entertainment to those who had noticed), James' brother Michael and Suki Potter's places, and Lily's sister Rose's seat. Michael had been paralysed from the waist down by an attack by Death Eaters the day his brother had been killed, to prevent James from using Gryffindor's sword and his only chance against Voldemort, since Michael had been using it at the time, and he and his fiancée Suki Chang had gone to America in order that Michael could be treated there. They had stayed there ever since, only returning for their wedding, while Rose, Lily's two- years- younger sister, now lived in France but travelled all over the world modelling. Both had stayed away from Harry on Dumbledore's orders, in case their powerful magic betrayed Harry's presence to those Death Eaters who escaped after their Master's first downfall. Now, however, the three were needed in their old roles to assist Dumbledore, and would arrive in Britain as soon as they could tie up their affairs and book Floo powder tickets. 

Dumbledore coughed again, and all heads flickered from wherever they had been looking to stare at the aged Headmaster. 

"I have called you together once again, as you know, to answer the threat of Lord Voldemort and his Death Eaters. As I'm sure Sirius and Minerva will have told you, Severus Snape is an undercover spy for the Light. Obviously, this information will go no further than this room, but I considered it necessary for you all to know this. I may point out that it was Severus who first informed me as to the threat to Lily and James' lives, prolonging their lives by several months. 

I am told you have a new name for yourselves; may I hear it?" 

Erin spoke first. "We thought we'd use your Fawkes as our symbol, Dumbledore," she said, stroking the neck feathers of the beautiful bird on her shoulder. "So we've decided on the Order of the Phoenix. It was Minerva's idea. We also thought that it should maybe be the name for all your closest fighters, not just us: the Weasleys, the Diggorys, all those people." 

"Very well," agreed Dumbledore. "How do you feel about acting as mascot, Fawkes?" The red and 

gold bird hooted softly in approval. 

"Now that that's settled, latest news. It has been communicated to me that roughly half of the Ministry is behind us, all the teachers and their families, and all our old friends. The French and German Ministers for Magic, our closest allies from the Muggle World War in which we aided them, have contacted me with their backing but say that openly declaring this would lead to extremely awkward situations with our Ministry. However they are sending all the trained Aurors and Hit Wizards they can manage to assist us and say that in the event of the British Ministry accepting Lord Voldemort's return we have their full and open support. However, increasing along with our supporters are our enemies. Their audacity is now approaching the height it was at the worst point in the first Wizarding World War. _We need Michael Potter_." 

"Right here," came a voice. 

Twelve heads spun round; ten hearts dropped with a thud as an older James glided into the room in an old-fashioned wheelchair floating a few centimetres above the floor. Michael Potter, James Potter's five-years-older brother, was popularly said to be the spitting image of his sibling. Following him were two beautiful women who were almost the negative of each other: Suki Potter and Rose Evans. Suki was small, with beautiful cropped ebony hair as smooth and glossy to her head as a jet mirror, her eyes the colour of liquid dark chocolate. Rose was tall and curvy as the wizarding fashions dictated, her golden waves cascading down her back, her skin flawless and the perfectly-shaped emerald eyes she had shared with her sister Lily smiling a greeting. 

"We just got back," Michael explained. "It wasn't hard to guess the password- your love of Muggle sweets, Dumbledore, never ceases to amaze me. Chocolate drops, indeed. And did I just hear someone fully appreciating me at last?" 

"We were rather hoping we'd at least get to die looking at something pretty," said Minerva dryly. "I am of course referring to your harem, not you, Michael, so you can stop smirking. It's good to see you three. Did you all arrive together?" 

"Came in to the same fireplace five minutes after Rose," Suki told her. "We got delayed rescuing her from an extremely obsessed (but _extremely_ good looking) fan, or we'd have been here right on time." 

"Since when is a Potter on time?" enquired Monique. "It's always seemed to be a sort of inbred Potter trait or something." 

"You're no better," returned Michael. 

"Point taken." 

"Ahem!" put in Dumbledore pointedly, waving the three newcomers to their seats. "To return to matters more important than the Potter Lateness Disorder, a quite alarming piece of information has come my way. Harry Potter has come into his full powers more than one year ahead of time, and as such all protections I have laid on him while he stays with his aunt and uncle are worse than useless." 

In the wizarding world, children came of age on their sixteenth birthday, as their powers intensified to full adult strength. Until then they were virtually undetectable on all magic sensors. 

A fist came crashing down on the table as Rose's green eyes blazed with sudden anger. 

"Woah, woah, there," she growled. "Harry is _still_ living with Petunia? You told me it was only until he reached eleven! What the hell did you think you were doing?" 

"Protecting the future of the wizarding world, actually." 

"So as long as Harry's still technically alive his state of health and mind can go to hell? Never mind the fact that you deliberately lied- something you keep reminding everyone that you never do." 

"I did not deliberately lie, Rose," said Dumbledore quietly. "At the time I did indeed imagine that Harry could stay at Hogwarts after his eleventh birthday, or stay with the grandparents that he doesn't know he has. That was until he defeated the Dark Lord and his servant, and until Holly and David Evans were nearly killed after a Death Eater attack on their safe house. The presence of Harry's rather strong magic, even as an infant, would certainly have given escaped Death Eaters a target they could hardly miss. It is mostly negated by the exceptionally thick Muggle presence where Harry's aunt and uncle live, and also Petunia now does not carry the family name of Evans. I considered Harry's loss of freedom infinitely preferable to Harry and his grandparents losing their lives." 

"I'm still not happy, but passed. Where are Mam and Dad anyway?" 

"They missed being blown up by a matter of seconds the day after Voldemort returned –I won't insult your intelligence by pretending we don't know who by- and are being moved to Hogwarts in several stages, since having a continuous journey would make them far too vulnerable to attack: Voldemort is clearly still determined to revenge himself on your family for his first defeat. Thankfully several Aurors who knew them were in the area at the time when they were last attacked and got your parents out just in time, though they paid a heavy price. Two are now critical in our Hospital Wing, but Madam Pomfrey believes they will recover." 

"Who?" asked Minerva, startled. "Anyone we know?" 

"I'm afraid so: Sonorussa Silbain and Vicindha Vector." 

Silbain had been Potions teacher while the Marauders had been at Hogwarts and had married the then-Astronomy teacher, Michael Starthorn-Marcy, in their seventh year, then leaving with her husband to become Aurors, while Vector had taught Muggle Studies and Arithmancy since a few years before the Marauders' time. 

"I didn't know Vector was an Auror," put in Erin soberly. "But they _will_ be OK, right?" 

"That is Poppy Pomfrey's opinion- indeed Sonorussa's husband Michael is with her now; she regained consciousness for a few minutes earlier today. On the subject, Poppy's mother and twin sisters will be joining us in the next few days: the Pomfreys are an old family, not without pull in the Ministry. But to return to the pressing subject of Harry Potter's escalating powers, I have had his Gryffindor dormitory prepared for him and all that now remains is for someone to collect him from his aunt and uncle in the next few days. Sirius, I need you here for a few days, and anyway it is not a good idea for a fugitive to go dashing around the country. Remus and the twins, I need your help in dropping the barriers around the Dursleys' house so that magical adults may enter, and anyway none of you are at all accustomed to the Muggle world." 

Monique's grin was only half humorous. "I think I'd rather enjoy renewing my acquaintance with the lovely Petunia Evans, how about you, Minerva?" Monique's parents had both been Muggleborn and had brought her up in both worlds, including sending her to a muggle primary school while Minerva had lived largely with her muggle mother because her wizard father was away most of the year, teaching at Hogwarts. Minerva's grin now matched Monique's: they had both known Petunia of old. "I'm in." 

"Hmm, I _would_ like to see dear darling Petty again," said Rose, her smile dangerous. "I'll come- she'll never dare turn you away if I'm there." 

"I'll give it a whirl as well," nodded Erin. "Safety in numbers, and all that." 

"I think four of you will be enough," agreed Dumbledore. "Can any of you do Group Apparition?" 

"What's that?" asked Rose. "Never heard of it." 

"It's an encantation to Apparate up to two people along with yourself," explained Minerva. "It's not a very new discovery- Albus finished working on it a few years before the Dark Lord's fall- Lily could do it with Harry, but a lot of wizards have trouble with it since it's even more complicated than basic Apparition. I can just about do it." 

"We've been practicing tonight, so now Erin, Arabella and I are reasonably sure we've got it down, too," said Monique. "Ara managed two people on our last few tries, and I managed it once. We should be OK." 

"I can just about manage it as well," put in Erin. 

"I'd like to learn," said Suki suddenly. 

"It'd probably be as well if I learnt too," nodded Rose. 

"Very well," said Dumbledore. "I'll show you both later and you can practice tomorrow. Monique, I don't want too great a fuss when you pick Harry up tomorrow, mind." 

Monique had the grace to blush; the last time she'd spoken to Dumbledore (on the subject of Harry going to live with the Dursleys) she'd called the greatest wizard in the world a 'smug, self-satisfied nonce', with less appreciation of Lily's feelings on the subject than 'an anaemic, retarded dung beetle'- and those had been her more repeatable comments. 

"All right, all right," she grumbled, holding up her hands in an expression of surrender. "You _always_ spoil all my fun." 

Sirius nudged her, laughing. "_All_ your fun?" 

Snape snorted loudly but the rest ignored him as Monique swatted at Sirius' head in mock annoyance. 

"By the way, Remus, the potion's almost ready- it's got to brew for a further fourteen hours overnight, and we'll test in the morning," Artemis called over the noise. 

"Potion? What potion?" enquired Severus irritably. Artemis opened her steel-grey eyes wide in an expression of childlike innocence that fooled nobody. 

"The Wolfsbane Potion, of course, my dear Severus." An opportunity to antagonize Snape so completely hadn't arisen for more than ten years, so Artemis and her partner in crime Monique cherished this one deeply. 

"By the way, when was the last time a house-elf popped into your dungeons?" Monique enquired smoothly. "Because your Potions Laboratory is, quite frankly, disgusting." 

"_Really_, Snape, I expected better of you," put in Erin severely. 

"You went into _my_ private dungeons?" growled Snape, looking passably murderous. 

"Well, if you _will_ keep locking the doors so atrociously…" tutted Artemis. "Of course we did! Where else were we supposed to make it, darling imbecile?" 

"Well, I've heard Moaning Myrtle's bathroom is a popular choice," chuckled Minerva. "Heaven only knows why- she keeps flooding the place." 

"And you wouldn't want us to get wet, would you?" finished Artemis, pouting and batting her eyelashes theatrically. Snape showed long yellow canines in an almost animalistic grin. 

"Of course you know I love you all. To_ death_." 

Dumbledore interrupted what looked to become a promising (and possibly fatal) argument. 

"You are _supposed_ to be on the same side in this war," he said severely. 

Monique's grin was nearly as panther-like as Snape's. "Nothing wrong with a little healthy difference of opinion- or in Snape's case, not so healthy. I hope. And I think I'll go to bed now, how about you guys?" 

She strode out of the room before Snape could answer, and after a moment's pause the rest followed. 

"Unbelievably childish, the lot of them," Snape sneered, watching Apollo and Artemis' retreating backs. 

"Of course," agreed Dumbledore. "But did you notice that they had much more fun than you?" 

He swept out of the room, leaving a fuming Severus Snape to his thoughts. 


	6. Rescue, Ructions and Remus

A/N: ONE review?!?!? 

I LOVE cliffhangers! (Unless someone else writes them, hint hint jaffacake) 

Chapter 6: Rescue 

Two days later, the Marauders were enjoying a rather rowdy breakfast at Gryffindor table and renewing their acquaintance with Missy, a house-elf they had known in their schooldays who possessed a characteristic unusual in house elves but particularly necessary for friends of the Marauders- a highly developed sense of humour. Although in common with the house elf collective she had a tendency to be a workaholic in the extreme, she was adept at playing pranks on students who had treated her or her friends with scorn or ridicule, a trait which had led to close affinity with the teenage Marauders and also to several highly amusing pranks. Another of her features that had further endeared her to the young Marauders was her deep hatred for Lucius Malfoy and his family, who had once owned her and her son, Dobby. This particular morning her high, squeaky laugh sounded with the humans as Minerva McGonagall described the turning of Draco Malfoy into an albino ferret and the differing reactions of Harry and his friends. 

An ear-splitting screech sounded through the Great Hall as a large and very beautiful snowy owl fluttered in with an envelope attached to one leg. After a half-circuit of the watching, still laughing group, she swooped down to land on the back of Remus' chair. Minerva eyed the bird closely. 

"That's Harry Potter's Hedwig, isn't it?" she enquired interestedly. 

Arabella stroked the bird's neck-feathers gently. "Looks like it," she replied. "I've seen her fluttering around when I go to see Mum, and Harry's the only wizard in that area apart from me." 

"She's kind of familiar," said Monique, staring intently at the owl. "You don't think…" 

"Nah," said Apollo dismissively. "Lily had green eyes, even as an owl." 

"Yeah, but look at those red-gold feathers around her ears!" pointed out Artemis. "Ever seen another snowy owl with those? But how…" 

"I suppose… her soul… into an ordinary owl…" Erin trailed off. "That would maybe explain the eyes… and Hagrid chose her, didn't he? Hagrid adored Lily- and he guessed what she was, remember, back in seventh year, even if he never knew about the rest of us." 

"Except me," put in Monique. "It would've seemed too strange if she'd done something like that without me." 

Missy nodded. "You and Lily Evans was never doing anything apart, Miss!" she agreed squeakily. 

"Hedwig might well have been born at the same time and near to the place Lil died. She's fairly young," nodded Arabella. "But you can't tell with magical owls, they live for about fifty years and they don't age normally. She could easily be about fourteen or fifteen, but she might easily be older or young than that, too. We'd have to do some research to see if it's possible." 

Sirius shook his head. "Come on, you guys," he opposed. "What're the odds of that happening? Anyway, the owl doesn't seem to know us- and she doesn't even have Lily's trademark eye colour; it was the only definite way we could tell her apart from her own owl." 

Remus, meanwhile, was scanning hastily through the note. 

"It _is_ Harry's owl," he told them. "But read this!" 

_Dear Professor Lupin, _

_ I'm very sorry to bother you since I expect you're busy, but Ron and I haven't had any post from Harry since the day after the holidays started, and usually he would have written at least once by now. I hope I'm over-reacting, but Ron and I are both worried about him, and the last time he stopped sending us letters he'd been imprisoned in his room with a steel door and bars on the windows without hardly any food and water. Then Hedwig turned up today and seemed to want me to do something about it, but I'm halfway across the country from Harry so I just sent Hedwig straight to you with a note. I would have sent her to Sirius but he'd probably go mad and the last time Harry got really angry, he blew his Aunt up and he isn't even trained so I don't even want to think about what Sirius would do. _

_Yours Sincerely, _

_Hermione Granger _

Rose's voice was quietly murderous as she finished examining the letter. "_When_ did my sister lock Harry up?" 

"The summer holidays following his first year," Minerva replied briskly. "Arabella was on holiday in Greece for three weeks at the time, so we didn't know until after Harry's friend Ron and his twin brothers rescued him that it had happened- her replacement was, frankly, criminally inept." 

"I am _so_ going to kill Petunia," Rose growled. "Long, slow and _painful_." 

"A fine attitude for an ex-Auror to have," said Monique. "But to hell with Dumbledore's precautions, we're going to get Harry out of that house this morning whether the Headmaster likes it or not." 

"Agreed," the rest said as one. 

Breakfast at Number 4, Privet Drive, however, wasn't going nearly so smoothly. Harry, large black circles under his eyes, was attempting to eat the grapefruit slice in front of him before the Dursleys pronounced his uneating attitude 'ungrateful'. The truth was, however, that he hadn't been eating since the start of the holidays- he simply wasn't hungry and had twice been sick when he had forced food down in order to keep his aunt and uncle off his back. Petunia Dursley, far from being sympathetic when he threw up, had simply handed him the toilet cleaner and a lecture about wasting food. 

A slightly thinner-than-usual Dudley was glowering at him as always from his position jammed behind the table, an expression copied by Harry's Uncle Vernon, while Aunt Petunia simply averted her eyes as though his presence was too unspeakably horrible for her to even recognise. This attitude, Harry noticed, didn't extend to household chores. He was sure he had done more work in the first fortnight of the holidays than Dudley had done all his life. 

Meanwhile, the Dursleys had decided that if he couldn't write to Sirius there would be no more danger from him, so once they were sure Hedwig was out flying to Hagrid with a letter they had glued all Harry's bedroom windows shut. The owls with Monique and Sirius' letters had been clever enough to get around this by waiting until Harry was set to work in the garden to drop the letters on his head, but Harry had been unable to smuggle Hedwig in and so he had told her to fly to Hermione's to be looked after there. 

Suddenly the doorbell rang. 

"I'll get it," grunted Uncle Vernon, easing his bulk out of his chair and leaving the room, throwing a 

disgusted glance at the grapefruit half on his plate. Female voices were heard arguing, low and insistent, at the front door. Aunt Petunia dropped her teacup. The front door slammed and Uncle Vernon rushed back in, grabbing Harry roughly by the shoulder and yanking him up the stairs. A dim voice in the back of his mind told him that he should probably struggle, but lethargy caused by lack of food and sleep (he barely slept an hour a night thanks to recurring nightmares) meant all he could do was to wriggle uselessly against his uncle's iron grip as he was half-dragged, half-marched up the stairs and thrown into his room. A rope appeared in Vernon's other hand and he tied Harry hastily to the bed by one arm, using all the knots he could think of. 

"Bloody psychos, thinking they can just barge in here uninvited and demand him," he muttered. "Well, he's staying here to help Petunia around the house… they should lock 'em all up, damn weirdos…" Without a word to Harry he crashed back out, slamming the iron door (a legacy of the summer after Harry's first year at Hogwarts that had recently been refitted) behind. Immediately he was gone Harry reached for the penknife he had carried everywhere since the Second Task, cursing when he realised it wasn't there- it must have fallen out from the oversized pockets as he was tugged up the stairs, and the use of a wand was a complete non-starter; he'd get thrown out of Hogwarts for sure. Voices floated in through his window, one of them oddly familiar… 

"I always knew Petunia was an airhead, but _this_…" The speaker appeared to be shaking her head in disbelief; her voice was one of utter incredulity. 

"How did she manage to live with two witches for nine years and still not know enough to realise we can get in whenever we like?" The second speaker's sharp, familiar voice nagged at him and he scoured his mind for its source. 

"God knows, Tippaws, but how about we give my wretched in-laws a taste of our expertise?" This was another new voice, female like the others. 

A fourth voice took over. "Never mind the jabber, let's get the job done before the Death Eaters come prowling round!" Harry started; clearly the speakers had to be witches. But what four witches would come to get him? The fourth voice muttered 'Alohomora' and the front door crashed open. Petunia screamed, and Harry tried desperately to cover his ears but was prevented by the rope. Feet hurtled up the stairs; the three locks on his bedroom door clicked as they were yanked back. The door flew open, and Professor McGonagall stood framed in the open doorway. 

At least, Harry _thought_ it was Professor McGonagall; she wore no glasses and raven hair hung loose to her waist. She also looked about twenty years younger: most of her worry-lines had vanished and she was dressed in simple navy blue robes trimmed with silver, and no pointed hat. Finally Harry spoke. 

"Um… hello, Professor." 

"Bloody hell," the Professor whispered, staring at him in frank disbelief. "Surely even Petunia would never do _this_…" She raked her fingers through her hair so that it stood up in confusion, doing some creative swearing at the same time. "Thank God Monique and Rose didn't come up, or there'd have been hell to pay." 

Suddenly she reverted with an effort to her normal, collected self. "Don't call me Professor, Harry, you'll make me feel old. In the holidays, at least, I'm Minerva." Unexpectedly she grinned at the flabbergasted expression on his face. "Let's see about these ropes." She knelt at the bedside and busily began to undo the thick cords that bound him, but he struggled away. 

"Don't, Profe- Minerva, you don't understand, the Dursleys, they'll kill me when they come back!" 

Her usually stern face gentled, grey eyes understanding as she firmly finished untying the ropes. "Don't worry, Harry, we'll stop them. You're out of here, and if I have my way, you'll never be back. Is there anything you need in here?" Harry shook his head, sliding down from the bed. 

"No, my trunk and stuff's all in the cupboard under the stairs. Err… who's 'we'?" 

"Erin and Monique and me, of course. And Rose- but you don't know about her, we only sent you a story about our first year and she wasn't at Hogwarts then. Come on, we'd better get you downstairs. D'you want to use the bathroom or anything before we go?" 

"Yeah, OK," Harry made his way to the door. On the landing, he looked back uncertainly. 

"Did you mean what you said- about me not coming back?" 

Minerva gave him the same abrupt grin she had before. "Of course I did. Now get going before Monique and Rose beat seven bells out of your Aunt and Uncle!" 

Suddenly he grinned back at her, then disappeared into the bathroom. 

The scene downstairs was madness and hilarious at the same time. Rose was glaring fiercely at her older sister, whom she was clearly just a fraction away from slapping; Petunia was cowering behind a quivering Vernon, a frying-pan clutched in her hand, while her husband nursed an ear boxed by Monique. All three witches wore variously coloured robes. Dudley was unable to move from his position lodged between his chair and the kitchen table, but was uttering high-pitched squeaks of fright not unlike a hamster being stepped on by a carthorse. 

Suddenly Minerva appeared at the top of the stairs; Erin raised one eyebrow and her cousin answered the unspoken question, clearly fighting the urge to laugh. 

"Got him," she confirmed. "Get his stuff, Erin, it's under the stairs- Alohomora should do it. We'll be down in a minute." 

"Right," Erin nodded. "Dursley, get your bulk over here and gimme a hand with this!" 

"How dare you," Uncle Vernon thundered suddenly. "You can't barge into my own house and demand I-" Monique cut him off. 

"Don't push it, you," she ordered, pointing her wand straight at him. "I've already used up my week's supply of patience." 

Dwarfed by the tiny woman, Vernon visibly gulped, and assisted Erin in dragging Harry's trunk and broom out of the cupboard. Monique stuck her head in, peering about her with an exclamation of disgust. 

"Merlin's beard… You kept Harry in here?" she enquired, dangerously politely. Petunia nodded mutely. "All right then, Dursley, get in." This time Vernon looked sure to refuse, but all four women pointed their wands at him and he was forced unwillingly into the cupboard. Monique knelt and placed a Timed Locking Charm on the door. 

"See how _you_ like it," she growled. At this point all conversation was interrupted by Harry's appearance at the top of the stairs. The almost-fifteen-year-old seemed smaller than ever, looking ridiculously young for his age. He was dead white apart from the heavy black-and-blue circles under his eyes and two large rapidly purpling bruises, one on his elbow and the other on the side of his head. His bright green eyes stared straight back at them through large round glasses, then he tugged the oversized t-shirt sleeve self-consciously over the bruise on his arm. 

"Umm… hello?" 

"Sweet Jesus Christ," whispered Monique. "Harry…" 

Erin hissed something those who heard it were sure she would never repeat in polite company. Abruptly Rose whirled about and struck Petunia on the cheek with her hand with enough force that the older woman staggered backwards as Rose began to berate her sister. 

"You unholy little bitch! I didn't believe even a slimy little tart like you could treat anyone like this, but now I've got to! How could you? Just because we were both always luckier than you… Your own sister's child, Petunia!" 

"Good gravy," muttered Erin. "And I thought Rose was supposed to be the _calm_ sister…" 

Unexpectedly Harry grinned. "It's not really Aunt Petunia's fault. She feeds me –kind of. I just haven't been hungry." 

"She should have noticed, at the very least," pointed out Monique. "I'm Monique James, by the way, and these are Erin Seanderson and Rose Evans. Hoi, Rosie, you'll give your sister a coronary if you don't watch out, and I think that qualifies as a 'scene' even under Dumbledore's laid-back rules!" 

"That's rich, coming from you," sniggered Erin. "Pot calling the kettle black if ever I saw it." 

"Erm… where's Uncle Vernon?" interposed Harry. Minerva laughed, pointing at the cupboard. 

"In there," she chuckled. "Blame Monique." 

Monique smirked. "Not that that's anything new. What about that time with the eighteen centaurs, a chocolate birthday cake and an extra-large pair of Snape's knickers? And that one was nothing to do with me!" 

Erin snorted, acting as though the Dursleys did not exist. "All I know is that those brown smudges on your pyjamas looked an awful lot like chocolate icing and you reeked of centaur for a week afterwards!" 

"Hey, I was framed!" 

"Yeah, I can see your halo. _Whatever_, Monique." 

"Hey, Harry's staring. Bet he thinks we're really weird!" 

And indeed, Harry was watching the lightning-fast dialogue with wide eyes. 

Erin pretended to faint with horror into Monique's arms. "Weird, moi? Wicked, wicked lies, that's all it is!" 

"D'you mind, you great lump? I'm suffocating!" 

Rose helped her heave Erin to her feet with exaggerated force. "Hadn't we better get moving?" the younger woman asked, studiously ignoring the bellows echoing from the direction of the cupboard and the squeaks coming from Aunt Petunia. "Hey Harry, say hi to your auntie Rose!" 

"My _what_?" 

"Your auntie, dear nephew, regretfully absent until now- on Dumbledore's orders, doncha know. Tell me I'm better looking than Marge?" 

Harry had to laugh at her ridiculously put-on posh accent. "Sorry- auntie, but you can't hold a candle to her dress sense." 

"I didn't know she had one- must've improved since I met her. And speaking of aunties, what animal d'you reckon for dear Petty darling? I'd say a slug, but that'd be an improvement, not a punishment." 

"Is using magic a good idea? I mean, the Death Eaters-" Harry broke off. 

"Since none of us is going to be coming back in a hurry, that won't be too much of a problem," said Monique. "Now you mention it, I quite like the idea of a cockroach, but that's a bit of a stereotype." 

"Hmm… and a pig's been done, I believe," mused Minerva. "How about… a rat?" 

Nobody could ignore the shriek from Aunt Petunia at that suggestion, but the women did their best. 

Erin snapped her fingers. "Got it," she decided, sniffing the air. "How about a ferret? She smells like one." Harry was having trouble believing that this very teenager-like statement came from someone in her mid-thirties. 

"That'll do," nodded Rose. "Put it on timer, Minerva- you're the best at Transfiguration." 

"With pleasure," Minerva answered, pointing her wand at Petunia. "_Transfiguro_!" 

"Harry, have you got your Invisibility Cloak?" asked Erin, taking no notice whatsoever of the irately squeaking peroxide-blonde ferret on the floor and the pig-like squeals of Dudley, who was still jammed behind the table. 

"Of course," said Harry. "It's in the trunk. But how d'you know…" 

"I'm a _Marauder_, Harry, of course I know," said Erin impatiently. "Just because I was a Ravenclaw doesn't mean I was in ignorance of the Gryffindor family heirloom- that thing's legendary, you know." 

"The _what_ family heirloom?" asked Harry, startled, but Erin seemed to feel she had said too much, for she started talking loudly to Minerva about the weather. 

"Can we _please_ get moving?" bit out Rose, looking suddenly edgy. "I don't like this- it's gone far too smooth." 

"Good point," nodded Minerva. "Harry, put the Cloak on, please. The idea is to make the Death Eaters think you're still here so they won't think of looking for you elsewhere." 

Harry obeyed with alacrity, and Dudley yelled as he disappeared. 

"Wish we could do that to _you_, y'permanent great stomach," muttered Monique as she led the party out of the house. "That thing can cover nearly half a dozen thirteen-year-olds, four of 'em leggy, but it still couldn't hide you." 

As she shut the front door, a pig squealed. 

"_What_?" 

The four women strolled along the road with Harry hidden under the Invisibility Cloak, using their wands indiscriminately as they looked for a safe place to Group Apparate, something that was best done in a fairly open space. Talking loudly about the 'failure' of their mission, and Harry still being at the Dursleys, they seemed to be crying out for attention, as indeed they were- from Death Eaters who they knew would be ceaselessly watching the Dursley house in case Harry left. 

Alarm bells rang –literally- in Minerva's head: the necklaces the twins and Erin had invented to link the group (so that emotions and locations could be passed between them when necessary) were chiming, coming from Erin's end. The noise meant anger, a touch of irritation, and caution: a Death Eater. Clearly the former Auror had spotted one of them lurking close by, but didn't dare to get much closer since even her Animagus form, an kestrel, was too noticeable. There was a barely-audible pop and an iron- grey tabby cat loped smoothly forwards, ears twitching. 

Monique bit back a yell as Minerva connected the group to what she could hear: a new development she hadn't yet been told about. Sorting through the volley of sounds that assaulted her eyes, she picked out two human voices: two Death Eaters, who had clearly been working in shifts, one older and one a fairly young man. 

"Thank Merlin that's over," said the elder. "Boring just isn't the word… but three of Wormtail's old pals and the sister of the redhead (_Maybe they're forbidden to say Lily's name?_ Minerva wondered suddenly) came to release the boy, all Mudbloods, but didn't succeed: the ones they call Knifefang, Sharpeye and Tippaws. Just like mudbloods, eh?" 

Monique's fists clenched; how dare Wormtail tell the Death Eaters their old nicknames? The younger man laughed. "Aye, and talking of muggle-lovers, my Lord has a job for you at the Weasleys' house: they're all there for a few days, and our Lord wishes to –ah- dispose of them all in one swoop, for which he requires your subservience." Minerva's skin went cold. 

"If my Lord calls, then of course I shall go," said the other smoothly; it was clearly a ritual response. There was a pop as he disapparated. 

"Oh… _fuc- _for crying out loud," hissed Rose through the connection they shared. All four looked at each other. 

"Let's go," commanded Monique, also through the Link. "Minerva, bring Harry. _Apparitio_!" 

There were three simultaneous pops, then a fourth as Minerva Apparated Harry. 

Monique, whose Apparating style tended to be erratic at best, hit the ground hard and rolled, then leapt to her feet. 

"Molly! Arthur!" she screamed at the full pitch of impressive lungs. "Get your wands and get out! _HE'S_ COMING!" 

A mop of long red hair stuck out of a fourth floor window and Ginny Weasley stared at the four women with startled brown eyes. 

"Get everyone together and get out!" Erin shrieked. "_Voldemort_'s coming for you!" The head disappeared. 

"Death Eaters at twelve o'clock!" yelled Rose. "Monique, we can't take 'em all on!" 

"We're damn well gonna have to, aren't we?" returned Minerva tersely. Three masked men turned into a slug, a worm and a toad as the Transfiguration teacher displayed her particular skills. More than twenty Death Eaters kept on coming while Molly Weasley shepherded her entire brood out of the house, eyes flashing and wand at the ready as explosions from her and Arthur's wands sent anyone in their way flying. 

"Ring the kids!" snapped Monique. "and watch your backs!" Feet flew as Rose launched a flurry of kicks at the Death Eater who dared to come from behind, snapping his neck and sending him thudding to the ground. 

Molly took a rapid headcount and blanched. "Ron's still inside!" she whispered. 

Monique took command. "Minerva, Erin, Apparate the kids- Tippaws, you take the twins, Sharpeye, you get Ginny and Harry- and get the gang, someone's stopped the necklaces from working. Bill, with me. We'll find Ron," she ordered, jaw set. "Rose, gimme a lift!" 

Knowing what she wanted, Rose cupped her hands and Monique place one foot squarely into them. Rose flung her arms upwards (she was stronger than she looked) and sent Monique flying over the Death Eaters' heads. She somersaulted in mid-air, landing on the head of another attacker, dropped to the ground and flung herself into the house, while the attention focused on her mid-air antics made it child's play for Bill to slip through and get inside as well as more Marauders Apparated out of thin air to join the fight.

Inside it was eerily calm. Monique _pop_ped into her jaguar form, listening intently with her now much more acute hearing for sounds of the fourteen-year-old. A whimper, and a muffled crack; she tilted her head to identify its direction, praying to all the gods she knew (and several she had just invented) that the crack had not been the sound of Avada Kedavra. 

"Directly above us," she told Bill, snapping back into human form. "Fourth or fifth floor, slightly to the left." 

"Ron's room," Bill said instantly. "This way!" 

They tore silently up the stairs; Bill blanched even whiter than Monique as a scream ripped the air. Ron lay on the floor, half in, half out of his room with an owl's cage in his hand containing a tiny, brown, madly-hooting puffball, while the Death Eater performing the Cruciatus curse had his back to them. There was a pop, and a new yell tore the air as Monique's claws sank deep into his shoulder, slamming him face first to the ground so that he dropped the curse, snapping her teeth next to his ears so that he yelled even more. Bill pushed past the struggling pair and straight for Ron, who sat up groggily as he held him. 

"Oh my God, are you…" Bill started but never finished as Ron fainted in his arms. "Monique, leave him, let's get out!" 

"_Stupefy! _Good idea," she nodded breathlessly, picking up the cage holding the minute owl. "Let's take the obvious: the front door, it might surprise 'em." 

Dropping low so that they could not be seen through the windows, they made their way to the front door. Monique stepped in front and moved to open the door, but someone else got there first: the door crashed open, and a Death Eater stood framed in the doorway, his wand pointing straight at a now blearily-conscious Ron. 

The knife flew from Erin's hand like chain lightning, thudding into his shoulder; Monique kicked his legs out from under him and sent him flying backwards, choking. 

"I haven't killed him," Erin said matter-of-factly, as the three rejoined the ever-growing circle. "I don't throw to kill." 

"Although you may want to make an exception," snarled Artemis suddenly, pointing at a Death Eater with a flash of silver showing where his hand should have been. "_Wormtail_!" 

"Where's Remus?" asked Monique abruptly, looking around for him. 

Erin shrugged. "Dunno," she said. "I saw him Apparate a minute ago, so he's definitely here somewhere." 

Apollo's face at Artemis' side drained of all colour "Pettigrew's got a silver hand…" he muttered. 

His twin's face went cheese white as she completed "And silver kills werewolves… oh God, surely he wouldn't-!" 

"He would," said Sirius grimly. "Let's get moving!" He turned to a shaken-looking Minerva. "Don't worry Min, we'll find him," he assured her. "It's probably just us leaping to false conclusions- Remus could handle that little pipsqueak any day." 

"Is Ron OK?" asked Minerva, changing the subject as a way of trying to a keep a firm hold on her fears. 

"Yeah, but he's only just conscious," replied Bill, ducking hastily to allow an Avada Kedavra curse to whistle past his shoulder. "Can you Group Apparate him to Saint Mungo's?" 

"What do you think?" she enquired. "Give him here." Bill handed the just-conscious Ron to her and she held his gangly form with difficulty. "Never, _ever_ tell anyone I did this, Weasley, or you'll find yourself in a whole heap of detention." 

Ron managed a watery smile. "I won't if you don't." 

"Bargain. Don't worry Molly, he'll be fine. And Sirius?" 

"Yeah?" 

"_Find Remus_. _Apparitio con uno!_" The air cracked sharply as she disappeared. 

As soon as she had gone, Sirius began directing operations. "Artemis, Apollo, transform and go to the right. Erin and I'll take the left, and Monique and Rose go straight ahead. Mundungus, go round the back. Arabella, can you and Milo raise whatever's stopping the necklaces from working?" 

"Give us time," she replied. "Now GO!" 

Sirius saluted as he transformed, then shot off to follow the others who had already set off. 

The enormous, iron-eyed tiger slunk round the corner, ears flickering as she reached for the sounds that she did and did not want to hear, for it would mean both that Remus would be alive, and that he would likely be in trouble: laboured breathing, or a shout of fear or rage, or a scream of pain. A few steps behind her, her brother trotted, nose twitching for the same smells as the sounds she listened for. 

_Cat-sister, anything?_ he whispered into her brain, for Apollo and Artemis Westhaven, by virtue of their twinship and also of their magic, could speak to each other by thought alone, with or without the necklaces; in fact the powers of those necklets had been based upon their own. 

_No. Nothing,_ she replied, growling involuntarily deep down in her throat. _I don't like this, wolf-brother._

_Nor I,_ admitted Apollo. _This stinks of a trap._

His sister laughed somewhere deep inside his mind, recklessly- far too recklessly for a Ravenclaw, his brain screamed. _You're telling me. But if they've hurt Remus, I'll kill 'em, trap or no._ The unrequited attraction she felt for the man was Artemis' one –and very near only- vulnerable spot. 

_Don't be hasty_, he growled, intentionally making the sound throb in her brain. _Like as not, that's just what they'll be expecting you to try to do. _

She broke the contact so sharply, he felt a crack of pain sear through his mind like a red-hot wire. 

_If you're being so touchy for that one comment-_ he started, but was cut off by an impatient snarl. Suddenly his nose picked up what her alert ears had gripped first; the sound and smell of fear mingled with the unmistakeable tang of Remus. They loped round the next corner at a sprint. 

Remus sat helplessly on the ground, gagged and wriggling ineffectually against his bonds, his eyes wild with unreasoning fear and his hands clenched to hide his pain, nails digging in so hard they made his palms bleed. He was shackled hand and foot with silver, his already shabby robes torn in a dozen places, and menaced by at least half a dozen Death Eaters. One of them had a silver hand. 


	7. Peter's Past Catches Up

A/N: Aww, c'mon you guys, some more reviews? Please? Several of my fics haven't got a single review to their names, and I have to say I'm fed up with it. I'd like at least three reviews for each of my Harry Potter fics please, or you can wait a month or so for the next instalment of this baby. Go on, you know you want to make all the time and effort I've put into all this stuff worthwhile! (And I might stop sobbing over what THAT… woman did to my beloved Sirius long enough to type. Boo. Hiss. WAAH!) 

Chapter 7. Rescues, Remus and Rose's New Talent 

This was too much, even for the coolheaded Apollo. 

Artemis crouched in a predator's stance, ready to spring. _NO!_ he yelled, but too late: she launched herself through the air with a roar, slamming into Peter from behind, knife-sharp claws raking his shoulder. The man transformed; a badly bleeding rat slipped between her massive paws and ran for the cover of the trees. Apollo knew Artemis couldn't fight all the Death Eaters; he too sprang from his hiding place and took the closest Death Eater by the throat, shaking his head like a terrier until he snapped the enemy's neck. 

Paws the size of dinner plates slashed the air dangerously as Artemis reared, slamming the Death Eater whose hands gripped her throat to the ground. Vicious swipes broke the bones and cracked the skulls of anyone near enough, her amber and ebony tail whipping dangerously. The golden-furred wolf stood tail-to-tail with her, fastening razor sharp teeth and claws on anything than moved. 

"Avada Kedavra!" squealed a squeaky voice, and both animals dived away; Artemis swept Remus up as gently as she could with the front paw that had just snapped a man's spine like a twig and yanked him with her as she leapt away from the blast. A pop, and a beautiful dark-skinned woman took the place of the equally stunning tiger. She barely registered the embarrassing position she was in, tangled with Remus, as she sprang to her feet. 

"PETER!" she roared, suddenly sounded like the big cat she had just been. "You never were too great at duelling, or should I remind you of all those embarrassing defeats? You couldn't even best the firsties!" 

A quivering fair man emerged from the shattered henhouse. His laugh was high and cold but stuttering as he faced her, his wand clutched in a silver hand. 

"You won't tease me again, Westhaven!" spat Wormtail. "Or should I call you- Fireclaw?" 

Surprisingly, Artemis chuckled. "I know what you want," she sneered at Peter. "You want me to lose my temper so I'll get careless. The thing is, I'm no impetuous Gryffindor, I'm a Ravenclaw, and we have a little more sense than that, eh brother?" 

Another pop; Apollo's grey eyes were icy cold. "Binding a man and kicking him while he was down- glad to see your standards have bettered, Wormtail." 

Peter had never been very good at handling this sort of group taunting; he always got tongue-tied and frustrated. "Well- well- at least I'm on the winning side this time! There's nothing you can do about it- even those Death Eaters you've attacked can be healed!" 

Artemis and Apollo wore matching cruel grins. "But we're not after them, my dear little friend." Artemis' hands were planted on her hips, her smile as pitiless as midwinter. "We want _you_. We want proof that Sirius is innocent. We'll take your so-sweet little pals out again- there's plenty of time for that." 

"And I doubt most of the ones we got to will be awake to see the sunset, at any rate." Apollo didn't sound very sorry: he had seen too many murdered children, too many family and friends killed for their part in a war they hadn't started, to cry any tears over the demise of a Death Eater; all of them had. "Won't be too many tears shed over them. Not unlike you, if Monique or Sirius or Remus have their way." 

"Speaking of which-" Artemis knelt down and untied Remus' gag in a businesslike manner as Apollo began to duel with Peter as a way of keeping him busy. As Remus smiled his thanks –the particular smile that always made her stomach back-flip- she reached for the silver at his wrists. "Ouch!" She yanked her hand back as an electricity-like power shocked her. 

"They won't break until Wormtail's power is defeated," Remus whispered, his face grey with pain. 

Artemis bit her lip until it bled. "Is it very bad, Moony?" she muttered. 

Her old friend's grin was wry, and faint, but it was a grin nonetheless. "It's been worse." She didn't need Veritaserum to know he was lying. 

Suddenly a light flared inside her; she glanced at Apollo and Remus to see that they felt it too. Arabella and Milo had broken through the spells that had stopped their communication necklaces from working. Peter looked scared for the first time and toppled forwards, his magic spent. No-one caught him. 

Some of the Death Eaters started to struggle to their feet, wands drawn. Artemis grabbed her necklace. 

_All of you, get here NOW! _she screamed, and was rewarded by a smoky-grey bird swooping overhead with a screech. Erin-Kestrel led the attack, diving with scissor-like beak and razor claws at the ready. A spitting wildcat, its fur standing out in all directions, leapt on top of another Death Eater, sinking all four set of claws into his head, as a bulldog snapped sharp teeth on the same man's leg and a gangly, bespectacled man whirled an amber-topped staff in the face of another. A blue-eyed, golden-furred lioness rugby-tackled a third, bringing him to the ground and snapping his neck, while a black jaguar, small for its kind, pelted out of nowhere, strange bright sapphire eyes blazing as a bear- sized dog pounced from behind her. The two guarded Remus as Artemis unceremoniously yanked off the now-open silver manacles. He sat up, rubbing his wrists to restore circulation, and immediately grabbed for his fallen wand as she helped him to his feet. 

"Never mind that," Molly Weasley snapped, sending the nearest Death Eater flying with a wave of her wand and a '_Wingardium Leviosa_!' Arthur stood next to her and Bill and Charlie flanked them. "Let's get moving!" 

"Yeah," called Charlie, "let's get out of here before we lose someone!" 

There were a multitude of cracks as Erin, Arabella, Mundungus, Rose, Sirius and Monique once more became human, Rose grinning with triumph: apparently she was a fairly new Animagi. 

"Fair point," agreed Arabella, Binding all the Death Eaters within reach, helped by the rest. She Apparated calmly away from the melee, taking two tightly trussed-up men with her, and the rest followed, each bringing wither one or two Death Eaters with them. Rather than leave him to the uncertain mercies of Sirius or Remus, Artemis took Wormtail. 


End file.
